the best motor modification

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Favorite Production Motorcycle Honorable Mention: Royal Enfield Interceptor

I'm going to run a few "Honorable Mention bikes as I go along. The first three are posted and I have 2 selections to go. I'm squirming mightily... so sue me! lol....

This is a bike I've drooled over since I was a pup. There's about four or five fantastic British bikes I could put here. Bikes that are much more popular and more renowned. The BSA Goldstar, The Triumph T100C and the Norton Commando 750S are all contenders for a spot. But to be honest I find this bike to be much more striking than just about every other British bike on the planet. That chrome thank with the old school lettering, and the general stance and line of the bike just hits the perfect notes for me. I have a local friend who is the "go-to" british bike mechanic and he raves about this bike in looks AND engineering. He doesn't understand how they were overlooked for so many decades by British bike fans. Neither can I.

Top Five All Time Favorite Production bikes. Third of Five. 1969/70 Kawasaki H1 2 stroke.

You just know I'd have to get a 2 stroke in here. It's my first passion after all. But this one was really tough for me. Ordinarily it'd be a snap. Just put up a picture of a TZ750 and call it a day. But while the TZ was technically a "production" bike it was hardly common much less street legal. I could go with an RZ500 but it's a non-US bike. RZ350? Maybe.. I do love them but they're hardly "iconic" so no. I'm also a huge fan of the Yamaha RD350 and 400 series bikes but they're not very inspiring when completely stock so in fairness I have to scratch them. Then there's the entire Suzuki T and GT lineup which is quite impressive and brilliantly engineered but no one bike grabs me.

That leaves the Kawasaki triples which could win as a category but in fairness I should pick just one. I personally own and much prefer the late model H1 500's to the H2 750's. And my ideal bike is an H2 engine in an H1 chassis (I'm actually building one). But again that's not "production". So which way to turn? It's very close. While I'm very tempted to go with the gorgeous purple 75 H2 (it is a stunner) I have to go with the first in the series that set the tone. The 1969 / 1970 first generation Kawasaki H1. Just a stunner of a motorcycle for it's day and indeed,ANY day.

Reader Ride. 1999 Yamaha OW02 R7. the one that got away.

When Ron sent in his Favorite five submittable he included these pics of the one he "should have never sold". Oh but how we all have an old bike like that. She's a beauty indeed.

Top Five All Time Favorite Production bikes. Second of Five. BMW R100GSPD

I'm going to go ahead and get this curve ball out of the way early. I know more than a few of you might be scratching your heads a bit but hey it's my list and I freely admit that I have some inconsistent taste in bikes. I like em all.

Well, "back in the day", a South Florida dealer was clearing out old stock and had a sweet deal on a "Bumble Bee" black and yellow R100GS as the oilheads were on their way and he needed floorspace. I kick myself to this day for passing on it. Yeah I know the Bumble Bee wasn't a Paris / Dakar model but I kick myself just the same. The R100GSPD was the penultimate model in the air cooled GS lineup and in my mind THE class defining Adventure bike. I think I may own one yet.